Jingle Juice, Jingle Juice, Juicing All the Way

I have wanted to try juicing for quite awhile now.  Several of my friends have been doing it and having nothing but good stuff to say.   I of course wanted to take it to the next level and get a Vitamix.  A Vitamix is a crazy, insane blender that turns fruits and veggies in their raw form into lovely smoothies.  Its miraculous and amazing, it's $700.  Its kind of like the Magic Eraser, you think to yourself, "How does this work?  It really is magic!!"   After some serious soul searching I decided I couldn't invest in the miracle machine and opted instead for a kitchen Ninja, another high powered blender, with a much more reasonable price tag.  My Ninja is great for making soups and general blending, however, my atttempts at green juice were what I called "chunkies", not smoothies.  I continued with this for about a week, literally chewing my juice.  It was not enjoyable, but I was trying to prove to my fiancee that the Ninja was a good investment.  And it was, just not for juice.  We ended up getting a juicer about two and a half weeks ago, Tommy's dad had one laying around his house so we snagged it up. SCORE!!!  Its a little old, and a little loud, but boy does this machine make a mean glass of juice.  Which is the point, of course.

I have juiced once a day for the past 17 days.  I usually juice in the morning after I practice, as a substitute for breakfast.  If I decide I want eggs and bacon in the morning I will juice in the mid-afternoon.  I usually experience a slight decrease in energy level between 2 and 4pm.  It used to be pretty extreme and has mellowed out considerably since dropping the cup of coffee a day habit. However, due to my general lack of sleep, (co-sleeping, nursing baby in bed), a decrease in my energy is still noticeable.   If I juice in the morning, my energy level is stellar all day.  If I juice in the mid-afternoon, I get a kick-butt energy boost.  Juicing in general improves my energy level.

I have noticed considerable improvements in my body.  The most astounding to me is the improvement in my night vision.  Since giving birth to two babies, I have no depth perception at night, the lights of other cars and the streetlights get kind of halo-ey.  As a rule I try not to drive at night unless I absolutely have to.  My green juice always contains one large carrot, and in just two weeks, my night vision has improved radically.  Also, my teeth are getting whiter.  My skin and hair feel great.  And, the most noticeable improvement is the quality of my waking energy.

I am not a scientist or health expert by any means, so I will say, juicing is just great for you.  When you juice you are eating vegetables and fruits in their most pure form.  Which means you are getting as many health benefits, vitamins, and minerals as possible.  The dark greens I put in my juice are jam packed with vitamins and nutrients.  I also add other veggies that fight free radicals (cancer causing agents) in the body.  There is a lot of information out there.  If you are want to learn more,  google that shiznit. The facebook page Juicing Vegetables always has great recipes.


My daily juice contains:
1 large handful of spinach
1 large handful of kale
2 stalks celery
1/2 cucumber
1/4 Cup red cabbage
1 large carrot
1/2 inch of ginger
*****I use an old baby bottle brush to clean my juicer, the little nipple brush works perfectly on the mesh shield to get the leftover veggie gunk out*******

I sometimes add beets, apples, pears,  herbs, lemon, or whatever else I have in my fridge.  The above recipe is my starter that I build from.  I tend to steer more towards just veggies, I love the earthy "green" taste.  When I make juice for my fiance I always add more fruit, he can't handle just veggies.  So, it's really up to the individual.  The important thing is to get started. 

The whole process of juicing is very mindful for me.  I like to get all of my veggies out, wash them, and set them up on my counter next to my juicer.  The veggies look so fresh, alive and colorful.  Then the juicing begins.  One veggie at a time, feeding it into the juicer and watching the vibrant juice of each veggie pour out into my cup.  I just love it.  If the color green had a taste, it would taste fresh and alive, and that's what my juices taste like.  The process and the end result, are both supported by an essence of health and vitality.  I am so glad that I started this new juicing regimen.  Juicing feels healthy, because it is.  If you have ever thought about trying juicing, stop thinking about it and start doing it.  Drink your veggies.  Cheers to health!!